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Wednesday, April 18, 2018

COA issues resolution to use gender-sensitive language in all its documents

The Commission on Audit (COA) issued Resolution No. 2018-009 instructing the use of gender-sensitive language in all official documents, communications, and issuances of the institution dated February this year.

The use of non-sexist language is one of the strategies in mainstreaming Gender and Development in government's programs, projects, and policies. COA released this resolution in support and attainment of the Magna Carta of Women (MCW) and the Philippine Plan for Gender-Responsive Development (PPGRD).

In the same way, the Civil Service Commission on March 2005, issued Memorandum Circular No. 12 s. 2005 that encouraged all government agencies to adopt non-sexist language in all its official documents, communications, and issuances. And the PCW, through Memorandum Circular No. 2014-06, encouraged all government agencies, state universities and colleges, government-owned and controlled corporations and all other instrumentalities of the government to use and apply gender-sensitive language in the drafting and review of their priority legislative measures and implementing rules and regulations of laws.

This resolution of COA can be done by other government agencies as a form of policy support to gender mainstreaming. Apart from policy issuance, government agencies may do the following initiatives to ensure that all official documents, communications, and issuances are gender-sensitive:

Train all relevant staff on the Use of Gender-Sensitive Language;

Ensure that GAD Focal Point System members are provided with the capabilities to monitor sexism in all the agencies policies, documents, communications, and other issuances;

Review all existing policies, documents, communication, and issuances and amend its language to become more gender-sensitive;

Install monitoring and feedback mechanisms for all communication where sexist and non-gender-neutral can be tracked and reported;

Coordinate and work with partner agencies, communities, consultants, and other identified people or institutions to be updated with how to integrate gender-sensitive language.